UFC 74: Randy Couture vs Gabriel Gonzaga

Only five more days until UFC 74. The main event will feature the UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture and the much younger, bigger Gabriel Gonzaga. According to Vegas oddsmakers, Couture is the small underdog in this contest, so go figure. Gonzaga is 9-1 as a professional MMA fighter, and is coming off a huge victory against Mirko “Cro Crop” Filipovic at UFC 70. If I were a betting man, I would make a small wager on Randy Couture. You just don’t bet against a 44 year old guy who comes out of his 12 month retirement and defeats a 6'8 UFC Heavyweight Champion 13 years his junior by unanimous judges’ decision. Sure you can go ahead and give me some rather logical reasons on why Couture will lose to Gonzaga, but I will not be buying any of it. Gonzaga said he would like to submit Couture in their UFC fight but it won’t be that easy as Randy is a world class wrestler and his conditioning is second to none. Randy’s an intelligent fighter and knows intuitively how to attack Gonzaga. The wild card in this heavyweight bout is Marco Alvan, Gonzaga’s manager, who I think has shown the uncanny ability to effectively train Gonzaga for his opponents. Marco’s managerial skills coupled with Gonzaga’s superior fighting skills is an almost unbeatable combination. I see this fight going the distance with a slight edge going to Randy ‘The Natural” Couture.

Gonzaga is also a very intelligent fighter and I see the big man gradually wearing down Randy for a late round TKO via GnP. Gonzaga is no Timmah, he actually has a ground game, a BJJ background and can strike.

Just my 2 cents worth.

stlkr

8/20/07 9:27:54PM

Randy in 3. TKO. GG is not in shape 4 randy. Randy will impose his will on him & ware him down. Not only ware him down but keep him down 4 the 3 rounds. It wont go 5. It is going 2 be a boring fight 4 GG. sorry.......Randy will mount GG in the 3rd & start pounding on him GG will be so spent that the REF will stop it......

Pitbull09

8/24/07 1:25:24AM

Posted by stlkr

Randy in 3. TKO. GG is not in shape 4 randy. Randy will impose his will on him & ware him down. Not only ware him down but keep him down 4 the 3 rounds. It wont go 5. It is going 2 be a boring fight 4 GG. sorry.......Randy will mount GG in the 3rd & start pounding on him GG will be so spent that the REF will stop it......

I have the same pick, Randy in the 3rd round via KO. But GG is a good fighter so I figure Randy will have to get it done by the first 3 rounds.

J-Platinum

8/24/07 5:29:04AM

It doesn't matter who wins. Don't get me wrong, I have the utmost respect for Randy Couture. Any 44 yr old man that can still throw down and be in the shape he's in deserves all the props in the world. But whether it is Randy, Gonzaga, Cro Cop, Nogueira, or Sylvia; they are just keeping the belt warm until Fedor comes to the UFC to take possession of his place as the baddest HW on the planet.